Bill & Miriam Honig with the Petris
from Italian Swiss Colony
Honig family in the mid 1970’s
The tractor barn where the first vintages were made
The winery in 1986
Construction of the new tasting room, 2003
Mike Thompson, Bruno Bartolucci
and Michael Honig, 2003
The “Brothers Honig”, 2003
Some of the sales team in
the lab, 2005
Alesha and Natalie smell fermenting wine, 2005
The front of the winery, 2006
History
The Honig Story
In 1964, Louis Honig purchased a 68-acre ranch in the heart of the Napa Valley and planted it with Sauvignon blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. He sold the fruit to neighboring wineries with the dream of retiring one day from his San Francisco advertising business and making wine from his vineyard in Rutherford. Before he could realize his dream, Louis passed away, leaving the estate to his children and grandchildren. In 1981, as a tribute to his legacy, the family rallied together to produce several hundred cases of Louis Honig Sauvignon Blanc in the vineyard's old tractor barn. The wine won a Gold Medal at the Orange County Fair, and thus, the winery was born.In 1984, at the age of 22, Louis' grandson, Michael Honig, took over management of the vineyard and winery. With a lot of hard work and a beat up pickup truck, Honig managed to get their Sauvignon Blanc into most fine restaurants in California. In 1987, they began producing small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon. The family business grew with the addition of family members Regina Weinstein in 1997, Steven Honig in 2000, and Stephanie Honig in 2007. In 1998, winemaker Kristin Belair joined the family to produce award winning Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon that is now featured on the wine lists of hundreds of fine restaurants across the country.
What began as a small garage winery has become a team of people who work collaboratively to run an inspiring and socially responsible business, donating wine to charity auctions all over the country, hosting political and community events at their vineyard, and leading the way in the sustainable farming movement.